An exemplary constant current circuit using a field effect transistor entitled “Constant Current Generation Circuit, Constant Voltage Generation Circuit, Constant Voltage/Constant Current Generation Circuit, and Amplification Circuit” is disclosed in JP2002-132360A (refer to paragraphs 0067 to 0071 and FIG. 1). The reference numerals from this document will be referred to here while discussing the document. In the constant current generation circuit (10), a voltage Va applied across both ends of a resistor (18) is uniquely determined by the gate-source voltage of a transistor (13). A bias is set such that the transistor (13) operates in a saturation region. For the resistor (18), a two-layer polysilicon (polycrystalline silicon) having a low temperature coefficient is used. This configuration permits a constant current Ir to flow in the resistor (18), even if temperature changes or variations in a manufacturing process or the like exist in the transistor (13) and like components of the circuit.
However, in the technique disclosed in JP2002-132360A, the bias point of the transistor (13) as a component of the constant current generation circuit (10) is determined by the resistor (18) (refer to FIG. 1) under the precondition that the temperature coefficient of the resistor (18) is low. Consequently, to realize the resistor (18) having a low temperature coefficient, for example, another process such as adjustment of impurity concentration in a portion for forming the resistor (18) is necessary during a semiconductor manufacturing process. Since the resistor (18) cannot be formed by a general MOS IC manufacturing process in which a resistor having a low temperature coefficient is not mounted, it becomes more difficult to realize the constant current generation circuit as disclosed in JP2002-132360A with the general MOS IC.